Can Apple bring a Hyperloop to Cupertino? They just might
What's the story
The city of Cupertino in Silicon Valley is already home to Apple's iconic spaceship campus and, if things go as planned, the city could also become home to a Hyperloop, thanks to Apple.
City councilors are currently in preliminary talks with Hyperloop as solution to Cupertino's transportation problems, and it might be in Apple's interest to "heavily subsidize" the construction.
Here's all about it.
Origins
What prompted Cupertino to consider Hyperloop
While Cupertino owes a sizeable part of its growth to the presence of tech companies, giants like Apple, despite their contribution, has also put strains on the city, particularly, its transportation system.
Just prior to considering Hyperloop as a solution, Cupertino was mulling introducing a per employee "head tax" on Cupertino-based medium/large companies to fund transportation solutions.
However, the proposal has been delayed.
Do you know?
Cupertino's proposed head tax could cost Apple millions
If Cupertino passes the bill looking to tax companies with 100 or more employees at a flat rate per employee, Apple's annual tax bill in Cupertino would rise from $17,000 to a whopping $9.4mn. Apple, understandably, has raised objections to it.
Apple's objections
Apple vocally objected to Cupertino's proposed head tax
While most opposition to Cupertino's proposed tax came from local medium/large enterprises, Apple vocally spoke out against it.
"[Let us] do what we do in Cupertino and at Apple, which is really be creative and find solutions for the long-term," said Apple's director of local government affairs, Michael Foulkes, suggesting that technology be used to find a solution.
However, he didn't mention Hyperloop specifically.
Hyperloop
Will Cupertino's Hyperloop plan materialize? We don't know
Yet, while the proposed solution for Cupertino, as of now, is Hyperloop, it's best not to count chickens before they hatch.
So far, all plans around Hyperloop in the US have remained mere plans, partly owing to difficulties in getting every stakeholder to sign off on such projects.
However, given Apple's muscle power, Cupertino stand a better chance at building one.
Quote
HTT chief: Democracy isn't friendly to Hyperloop-like projects
"Democracy isn't friendly to these kinds of things. It's a very large infrastructure project requiring a lot of people to work together. If you want to do this in the US, you have tedious right-of-way issues," Hyperloop Transportation Technologies CEO Dirk Ahlborn had said earlier.
Cupertino
Could Cupertino overcome current barriers to Hyperloop
But, Cupertino might have it easier in terms of getting people on board.
The city and its people have actively been looking for solutions to their transportation woes, and a Hyperloop, with investments from tech companies, could be one.
Additionally, with Apple having dodged a financial bullet, the $1 trillion company might be willing to settle for a one-time investment over paying annual taxes.
Practicality?
Everything considered, a Hyperloop is still years away
However, it's worth noting that practical Hyperloop technologies are at least a few years away.
While Musk envisioned Hyperloop to travel at 800mph, so far, the fastest speed achieved has been 290mph by Virgin Hyperloop One.
Additionally, there's no clarity about how much a Hyperloop line might cost, but it's expected to be in the billions.
Thus, for now, Cupertino's transportation woes remain.